In the wake of a special legislative session held yesterday, Assemblyman Joe Giglio (R,I,C-Gowanda) today expressed “disappointment” with Assembly leadership for failing to bring civil confinement legislation, which passed the Senate unanimously, to the Assembly floor for a vote.

“We were called to Albany by the governor to address the civil confinement issue,” said Giglio. “Nothing was done. I am disappointed and frustrated that the calls of the people across this state to protect children and families from the most violent sexual predators once again go unheard by the Assembly majority.”

“It was my hope to work with members of the Assembly from both sides of the aisle to pass a serious civil confinement bill that is in accordance with the court’s ruling, yet deals with these predators in a serious way,” said Giglio.

The special session was called by Governor Pataki after a decision by the State’s Court of Appeals found that the state was wrong to keep sexual predators behind bars without a court hearing once their initial sentence runs out.

“When it comes to the safety and wellbeing of the children of our communities, it is not acceptable to allow politics to determine the appropriate course of action,” said Giglio. “As a father, I am angered by yesterday’s events. As an assemblyman, I am motivated even more to work with my colleagues from the Majority to get a real civil confinement bill passed.”

The majority-controlled Senate has repeatedly passed legislation legalizing civil confinement, while the majority-controlled Assembly has passed a bill that is not nearly as harsh as the Senate’s, drawing criticism from Senate leadership as well as Assembly minority.